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Topic: Emmental - Success !?!?!? (Read 1066 times)

I have to say, I have been throwing away makes like crazy lately. All my cheeses are coming out blah tasting, over dry, inedible. Of the couple OK cheeses I have made, none of them seem to fit a specific cheese profile. They resemble "homemade" cheese, for a lack of better words.

BUT, this one, made 12/24/12, based on Tim Smiths recipe, was cut today. Surprisingly, it is perfect on all accounts. It has a perfect texture, flavor, appearance, and smell compared to other Emmentals I have had. In fact, it has a real nice subtle, smooth flavor that may be better than some I have had. I am shocked!

This reminds me of my golf game...even during a bad day, one good shot makes you want to come back out next weekend.....

Well done! I have tossed my share of cheeses, but lately have enjoyed more success than failure once I figured out not to let the cheeses air dry too long (very low RH here in TX) and got my pH under some control.

A cheese for your excellent success!! I am sure many more are in your future! Looks really great!

Well done! I have tossed my share of cheeses, but lately have enjoyed more success than failure once I figured out not to let the cheeses air dry too long (very low RH here in TX) and got my pH under some control.

A cheese for your excellent success!! I am sure many more are in your future! Looks really great!

Thanks Jim. I am new to this, and this was actually one of my first cheeses. I could be wrong, but I don't think it was the aging that caused the holes. After the make, it went into the curing chamber for a week. I washed it daily with brine solution. After 1 week, I took it out and set it on the kitchen counter for 3 weeks, while washing daily. The temperature was around 70 F. During this stage, it swelled considerably. I was actually nervous it would burst! I then vacuum packed it and aged it until yesterday.

Anyway, in the case of this particular cheese, I think the eyes formed prior to aging. Hope that helps!

Jim, Sailor pointed out in another thread that eye formation happens best at just over 70F. I've seen recipes calling for a warm phase in the mid 60s. If you aren't getting eyes try that for a warm phase. There is also a strain of PS that doesn't do much eye formation. Check that you have an eye forming variety. PS is salt sensitive. In my overbrined Jarlsberg the eyes were just in the center.